Never Underestimate the Intelligence of Birds

Today, birds and mammals are very different types of animal. However, the basic ‘body plan’ of both – i.e. having a backbone, four limbs, eyes, ears, a skull containing a brain, etc. – reveals their common ancestry. Bird and mammal brains, like their bodies, share the same basic parts. However, 300 million years of evolution have left them looking very different. A bird’s brain is mostly smooth, and doesn’t have the bumps and grooves of a mammalian brain.